Digitalization demands a three-pronged approach

Digital technologies are generating all kinds of opportunities in virtually every sector. At the same time, organizations are faced with the challenge of adequately responding to changing customer needs, new profit models and heightened competition. Anderson MacGyver bases success in the digital world on three pillars: clarity in the digital direction and agenda, the right organization structure and appropriate technology. Data is the fourth element that flows through each of these pillars.

According to Anderson MacGyver, digitization only makes sense when the envisioned changes are in line with the business activities, opportunities and ambitions of the organization. “Simple but well-thought out concepts and models help companies and their directors to effectively navigate through all the digital possibilities,” says co-founder Gerard Wijers. “That is what Anderson MacGyver does and how we stand out from the rest. This is how we make it easier for our customers to make the right choices.”

Reassessment

Wijers cites the example of the Dutch company Allinq which specializes in building and maintaining large telecom infrastructures. “The changing market required a thorough reassessment. To prepare Allinq for the future, we made a blueprint of the overall organization; its business, culture, management as well as the data and technology. Allinq’s goal: reliability and predictability towards the customers, a streamlined operation and a gradual digitization of products and services.” 

“Having your data in order is a precondition for being successful in the modern world.”

Having the right data is crucial, because this affects the business, the organization and the technology. Wijers: “Having your data in order is a precondition for being successful in the modern world.” Only with clear, accessible and safely managed data is it possible to offer customers the desired products and services. This demands the right organizational skills and responsibilities, and an IT department that is wholly in sync with the goals of the company.

Business agenda

The so-called Operating Model Canvas helps make strategic data and technology choices easier. Bor van Dijk, who primarily focuses on the digital business agenda for clients of Anderson MacGyver, explains: “An A0-format poster shows the correlation among business activities, customers and business partners in one glance. It stimulates the use of one company common language for all involved and forms the connection between the business model, the company processes, the data and the IT systems.

The Operating Model Canvas also helps companies understand the context and dynamics in which our clients operate. “This requires companies to listen closely and ask specific questions. Many companies have similar management models and activities and even on a detail level may appear the same. That is why the level of analysis must do justice to the uniqueness of each customer. Our strength is that we provide customized services based on best practices with which management teams can actually achieve their digital agendas.”

Organization

Once the organization has been properly canvassed, an effective and efficient structuring and support for the various business activities follows, each with their characteristic speed and dynamic. According to Anderson MacGyver’s Edwin Wieringa, this is best achieved with multi-disciplinary teams that all provide value which correlates to the strategy. “Some teams focus on the rapidly changing demands of the business, while others are aimed at activities that require stability and predictability. The digital exchange of information ensures harmony and cohesion. It enables every component to optimally organize itself for these specific activities, with the right competencies in the right place.”

Many companies are now grappling with an antiquated information provision that impedes the development of new digital services, concludes Guild Lead Technology Onno Wasser. “When designing as new digital landscape, the business activities have a guiding role. The chosen solutions must also do justice to the supporting processes, functions and domains – for example, within the finance, purchasing or HR departments. In practice, a “fit for purpose” technology often consists of value-oriented activities with much customer interaction. Activities that can fluidly move along with customers and the market and are backed up by a stable information provision.

Solid basis

Onno Wasser cites the international construction and engineering company SPIE as a prime example of Anderson MacGyver’s three-pronged approach. “They have implemented the digital agenda throughout the entire organization as based on their core operational activities. Ultimately, one technology platform supports the five most prominent organizational components. This offers many advantages in terms of management and data policy.”

Also at other clients, a successful digital transformation is based on a combination of business agenda, organizational structure and technology. Anderson MacGyver facilitates a cooperative process that solves problems by using proven concepts methods, expertise and an open approach. In this, the clients’ context and challenges are always the focal point.